Much more than a “small city in Punjab state” and home to a “popular tourist attraction”, Amritsar is more than three times the population of Bakersfield and covers more than 10 times the area. Being of major religious, historical and cultural significance to Sikhs, followers of the world’s fifth largest religion, Amritsar is most reknown for being the location of Sikhism’s central Gurdwara, the Darbar Sahib (aka the Golden Temple).

This Memorandum will be the culmination of more than three years of efforts on the part of Bakersfield Sister City, the local Sikh and Punjabi community, and Mayor Harvey L. Hall. Twice representatives of Sister City and Mayor Hall visited Amritsar, while the Mayor Malik of Amritsar visited Bakersfield in 2008 and the Deputy Mayor Randahwa and Sister City Committee Chair Rupinder Kaur visited Bakersfield in December 2009.

I’m sure the Sikhs in the Bakersfield area will take joy in the news that their home is now connected to the home of their religion. More information about the Bakersfield Sister City Project can be found on their website, bakersfieldsistercity.org.